Casing cutter



M. 5. BLACK CASING CUTTER Sept. 27, 1927.

Filed Nov. 18, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l d jimfi k a M w 4 Z w wmfi r A y "W w w w 0 6 f? f M 4 a \l I 5 .0./ J 7 6 J 0 4 w m o o 3w kw l a W 4 W EH 4 3 M M N 4.;Ilvfll! I A I f 44 a 7 7 J. E I d n y W t. f I? III!!! I!!! I!!! fill!!! I!!! p g f I l/ I f rammed Sept. 21, 1927.

UNITED STATES EIIILARD 8. BLACK, 01 HU NTINGTON PARK, CALIFORNIA.

casme Application filed November 18, 1925. Serial No. 89,793.

This invention has to do with a well tool and has particular reference to acasm cub ter adapted to cut casing m a well suc for .instance, as an oil well. v I

It is common in casing cutters of the charf" \My present acter mentioned, to employ cutting parts hard steel shaped and proportioned so that they will cut effectively. In pract1ce these cutting parts are frequently broken because of movement or shifting of the tool in the casing during the cutting operation; these movements being such as to put the cutters under strains which cause their failure. I

. ,It is an object of this. invention to provide a tool in which the cutters may be comparatively delicate and yet' operate without breaking.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide means for anchoring a tool at a certain point in a well so that it is fixed against longitudinal movement, but is free to rotate.

A further object of my invention is to provide a tool with anchoring means which is controllable from or through the operating member carrying the tool without impairing the operation of the tool. 7

The various objects and features of my invention will be best and more fully understood from the following detailed description of a typical form and application of the invention. throughout which description reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal detailed sectional view of a typical form of casing cutter embodying the present invention, being a viewtaken showing the parts in position ready to start operation.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1, showing the parts partially actuated, the anchoring means being fully extended or operated.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to Figs. 1

. and 2, showing the parts in position in which the casing cutting means as well as the anchoring means is fully operated or extended. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken as indicated by line 4-4011 Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an exterior elevation of the upper portion of the tool, the parts being shown in the relative positions 1n which they are shown-in Fig. 1. i I I Fig. 6 is a view similar to 5, the parts being shown in the relative positioning in which they are shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a View similarto Figs. 5 ana e,

the partsbeing shown in the positioning in which they are shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 8 is a detailed sectional view taken as indicated by line 8 8 on Fig. 6.

invention in its broader aspects is applicable to casing cutters of various forms and constructions and, in fact, is applicable to various well tools in which difficulties such as are common to casing cutters are encountered. I have in this application set forth a typical and commercially practical form of casing cutter which will serve to illustrate the features and advantages of my present invention and which may be referred to generally as typical of tools of this character. The particular casing cutter which I will describe is of the type embodying disc cutters made comparatively thin in order to effectively cut through the casing. It has, heretofore, been common practice to operate casing cutters of this character by applying to them or embodying in them a tail p1ece which engages the casing to offer resistance to longitudinal movement of the body of the tool relative to the casing.

It has been found from actual practice that tail pieces will operate to hold the body sufficiently secure to enable the tool to be actuated, however, they do not hold the body in a manner to relieve the cutters of strains which frequently break them.

My present invention, as before stated, is applicable to tools such as casing cutters and .may in its broader aspects beembodied in various forms, that is, it may be embodied in or built as a part of a casing cutter or other tool, or it may be in the form of an attachment applicable to a casing cutter or other tool. I have, in this case, chosen to set forth a case in which my invention is embodied in or formed as a part of a casing cutter which construction embodies several unique and advantageous features which will be apparent from the following detailed description. I

The tool which Ihave illustrated in the drawings comprises, generally. a body 10, cutting means 11 operable to cut through a casing C, or the like, in which the tool may be operated, a tail piece 12 connected to the body to offer general frictional resistance to movement of the body'in the casing C, anchoring means 13 operable to anchor the body in the casing against longitudinal movement, and various other parts, the decircumstances may require.

vsections 15, 16 and 17 connected together end to end by screw threaded connections such as are common to tools of this character. The section 15 carries the cutting means 11 while the section 16 carriesthe anchoring means 13. In carrying out the spirit of my invention the various parts of the tool, for instance, the cutting means and anchoring means may be related in various manners as In the tool shownin the drawings the anchoring means is located above the cutting means, so therefore the section 16 of the body is arranged above the section 15. The section 17 of the bo d yl is shown arranged above the section 16.

v e tail piece 12 which may, as far as myv invention is concerned, he of any desired form or construction, is applied to a suitable part of the tool so that it operates on the casing C to offer frictional resistance to movement of the tool in the casing. In the tool illustrated in the drawings, the tail piece is secured to the lower end of the body and comprises a frame 18 carrying spring arms 19 which expand against the casing in the manner usual to devices of this character. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the tail piece 12 may be of any desired construction and may include anydesired control or tripping means whereby it is thrown into and out of o ration at the proper time with relation to t e operation of the other parts of the tool. g

The'c'utting means 11 comprises a plurality of disc cutters 20 mounted in carriers 21 arranged symmetrically in the section 15 of i the body 10. The carriers 21 are slidably and may comprise a comparatively tapered or conical part 24 termmating at its carried in radially disposed ide ways 22 and are adapted to be actuate by an operat-' ing member 23 to carry the cutters 20 outwardly to feed them through the casing C as the tool is rotated. The cutters 20 are in the form ofcomparatively thin discs rotatably mounted in the carrlers on pivot pins 32. The peripheries of the discs are sharpened and are made as thin as ractical so that they will efiectively .cut t rough the casing C when the tool is actuated as hereinabove described.

. The operating member 23 for the cutters, is carried in the opening 15 in the bod 10 ong small end in a straight part 25, comparatively small and uniform in diameter, and at its large end in a straight part 26, comparative- 1y large and uniform in diameter. The carriers 21 are normally yieldingly held in by means of springs 26 operating on fingers 27 extending from the carriers so that they normally engage the operating member. When the operating member is positioned so that the small part 25 is opposite the carriers 21 the carriers are ,in or unactuated, in which position the cutters 20 are within the body. As the operating member 24 is moved relative to the carriers to bring the tapered part 24 into engagement with the inner ends of the carriers, the carriers are moved or fed outwardly, causing the cutters to move outwardly into operating engagement with the casing C. WVhcn the operating member has been moved to a position where the large part 26 is opposite, or in engagement with, the carriers, thecarriers are fully actuated, and the cutters are in position where the extend completely through'the casing C. l may provide the operating member with a second part 30 of small diameter immediately adjacent or at the other end of the large art 26 so that the o crating member may e operated beyond the position where the large part 26 is opposite the carriers 21 so that the carriers are retracted by the springs 26 to a osition where the cutters 20 are clear of the casing.

The anchoring means 13 may, in accordance with my lnvention, comprise one or more casing engaging members 33 and an operating member 34 operable to cause movement of the members 33 into proper operating engagement with the casing C. In practice, I prefer to use a plurality of easing engaging members 33 and to make the members in the form of rollers, the peripheries ion of which are shaped and finished so that they effectively engage the casing C to resist v longitudinal movement relative to the casing and allow free rotation relative to the casing.-

The members 33 may be mounted on suitable pivot pins 36 in carrier 35, the parts being related so that the pivotal axes of the mem bers 33 are parallel with the longitudinal axis of the casing C in which the tool is operated. The carriers 35 may be slidablv carried in radially disposed guide ways 37 provided in the body section 16 and may be normally yieldingly held in, or in an unactuated position by a spring 38, engaging fingers 39 extending from the carriers. The springs'38 may be carried in openings 40 adjacent to the guide ways 37' and the fingers 39 may project into the openings 40 through suitable slots 41 as clearly shown throughout the drawings. The fingers 39 in this con-- struction operate not only as parts a ainst which the springs 38 may react, but a so to prevent rotation of the carriers in the guide ways. The operating member 34 may rethe casing and straight part semble generally the operatingmember 23 provided for the cutting means 11, for instance, it maybe mounted to operate in the opening 15 of the body and may comprise a tapered or conical-part 43 terminatin at its small end in a straight part 44 0 small diameter and at its large end at a, straight part 45 of large diameter. The parts may be arranged andproportioned so that the casing engaging members 33 are within the body 10 when the parts are related so that the carriers 35 are in engagement with the straight part 44 of small diameter. As the operating member is moved relative to the carriers to move the tapered part 43 into engagement with the carriers, the carriers are moved outwardly causing the members 33 to on go the casing. When the carriers have en actuated so that the members 33 are in proper engagement with the casing the part 45 of large diameter comes into 'eng'agement with the carriers to hold them thus actuated or extended. A'second part 46 of small diameter may be provided adjacent the part 4501? large diameter to receive and come opposite the carriers 35 upon continued operation of the operating member to cause the part 35 to pass beyond the carrier's.

, In the preferred arrangement of parts which I have illustrated in the drawings, the operating members 23 and 34 of the means 11 and 13 are connected together end to end and are in fact preferably formed of a single continuous bar or rod. Further, the operating members 23 and 34 are arranged in the same general manner with relation to the carriers 21 and 35 respectively, that is, the tapered parts 24 and'43 of the two members taper or converge u wardly so that the operations above described are had by movement of the operating members upwardly from the positions illustrated in Fig. 1. In accordance with my invention I prefer to make the member 23 comparatively the parts, that is, the carriers 21 and 35 in the body 10 and the various parts of the two operating members so that the part 25 of the operating member 23 continues in engagement with the carriers 21 during the time that the tapered part 43 of the operating member 34 passes into engagement with the carriers 35 causing them to engage the casing C so that the members 33 are actuated into engagement with the casing C to grip prevent longitudinal movement of the body 10 in the casing before the carriers 21 have been actuated, or at least before the carriers 21 have been actuated sufficiently to bring the cutters 20 into enga ement with the casing. I further relate an part 45 of large diameter of operating'memher 34 is comparatively long and continuous section 17.

25 of small diameter of the long and to relate proportion the parts so that the straight in'en agement with the carriers 35 to maintaint e members 33 in grip in en a ement with the casing during the i no eme nt of the tapered part'24 of the operating member 23 in engagement with the carriers 21 and until the part 26 of large diameter of the 0 ing member 23 is in engagement wit the carriers 21. The second part 30 of small diameter of the operating member 23 and the second straight part .46 of the operating member 34 may be related so that continued operation of the operating members after the cutting means has been completely actuated will bring them into position where they are both in engagement with the carriers 31 and 35, respectively;

It is necessary to provide a driving "connection between the operating members 23 and 34 and. the body whereby the operating members and body are rotatable together and also to provide means for generally controlling or limiting relative longitudinal eratmovement between the operating members i a suitable opening 51 provided in t e upper section 17 of the body and by providing a" projection or pin 52 on the stem 50 to coo erate with a suitable slot 53 provided in t e The stem 50 is limited in its general longitudinal movement in the openmg 51 by shoulders 52" and 53 at the upper and lower ends of the o enings, respectively.

The pin 52 extends ra ially from the stem I 50 into'the slot 53. The slot may be shaped, enerally, in the form of a double ended ayonet slot having a comparatively lon straight vertical part 55 the ends of which terminate in comparatively short offset parts 56 and 57.

The parts of the slot 53 4 are arranged and roportioned with relation to the parts of t e operating members 23 and 34 so that the parts 25 and 44 of the operating members are in engagement with the carriers whenthe pin 52 is in the oil'set part 57 at the lower end of the slot, while the/parts 30 and 46 of the operating members are in engagement with the carriers when the pin 52 is in the offset part 56 at the upper end of the slot. that the carriers are being actuated bythe slotted members the pin 52 is in the main part 55 of the slot as will be apparent from comparison of Figs. 2 and 3 with Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings.

The particular tool illustrated in thedrawings is adapted-to be connected with suitable o erating means, for instance, a string of rill pipe, or the like, through an extension 60 pro ectingupwardl from the upper end of the stem 50 throu an opening 61 in the upper end of the dy section 17. The extension may be screw threaded at its upper end as shown in the drawings During the times to receive a sub or other part of the operating means. n o ration, the tool may be lowered into the wel to the desired point with the in 52 carried in'the ofi'set part 57. With t is relationin of the parts the operating member may e moved vertically tomove the body 10 with it, if it is necessary to work the tool in the casing to get it to the desired point. With the tool at the desired point in the casing, operation is started by pulling up on the operating means and at the same time rotating it to move the pin 52 into the main part 55 of the slot to a position such as is shown in Fig. of the drawings. It is to be understood that the tail piece 12 offers suflicient frictional resistance -to permit of this movement between the operating means and the body. With the pin 52 in the main part of the slot the operating means is pulled straight up causing the tapered part 43 of .the operating member 34 to actuate the carriers 35 until the members 33 are in gripping engagement with the casing. During this portion of the operation the operatlng means may or may not be rotated as the circumstances may require. With the carriers 35 completely actuated the straight part 45 of large diameter of the operating member 34 engages the carriers 35 to hold them completely actuated. Upon further upward movement of the operating means accompanied by rotation thereof the tapered part 24 of the operating member 23 operates on the carriers 21 moving them out wardly so that the cutters 20 engage the casing. The rotation of the operating means connected with the extension 60 causes rotation of the entire tool, the body being rotated with the part connected with the 7 operating means through the pin 52. As the cutters are thus moved outwardly into engagement with the casing and around in the casing they operate to effectively cut through the casing to a position such as I have illustrated in Fig. 3. During the time that the cutters are operating on the casing the gripping members 33 are maintained in engagement with the easing and operate to hold the body 10 firmly in the casing against vertical movement. The members 33 operate to effectively resist the tendency and the body 10 to move upwardly due to the operating means being pulled or moved upwardly. The ripping members 33 being in the form 0 rollers mounted as I have described allow the body to rotate freely in the manner required for proper operation of, the cutting means.

With the parts actuated to the position shown in Fig. 3, in which case the casing C is cut into two sections, the operating means may be lowered and suita 1y rotated to return the in 52 to the offset part 57 of the slot 53 or t e operating means may be continned or moved further upwardly until the parts and 46 are opposite the carriers 21 and respectively in which case the carriers return to an in position where the tool is free of the casing and in which position the pin 52 may be moved into the opposite part 56 of the slot 53. Vith the tool actuated to a position with which the carriers are retracted it may be withdrawn from the casing by means of the operating means.

Having described only a typical preferred form of my invention I do not wish to limit myself to the specific details set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any changes or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art or fall Within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a tool to be operated in a casing, a body, a part carried by the body operable to act on the casing, a tail piece connected with the body to frictionally engage the casing, an operating part movably related to the body to actuate said first mentioned part, and anchoring means operable to hold the body in position in the casing during operation of said part, said anchoring means including a roller movable into pressure engagement with the casing.

2. In a tool to be operated in a casing, a body, a part carried by the body operable to act on the casing, a tail piece connected with the body to frictionally engage the casing, an operating part movably related to the body to actuate said first mentioned part, and anchoring means operable to hold the body in position in the casing during operation of said part, said anchoring means including a roller movable into pressure engagement with the casing, and operating means for the roller operable from said operating part.

3. In a tool to be operated in a casing, a body, a part carried by the body operable to act on the casing, a tail piece connected with the body to frictionally engage the casing, an operating part movably related to the body to actuate said first mentioned part, and anchoring means operable to hold the body in position longitudinally in the casing during operationof said part, said anchoring means including a roller, a carrier for the roller movable radially relative to the body, and means for operating the carrier.

4. In a tool to be operated in a casing, a body, a part carried by the body operable to act on the casing, a tail piece connected with the body to frictionally engage the casing, an operating part movable relative to the body to actuate said first mentioned part, and anchoring means operable to hold the body in position in the casing during operation of said art, said anchoring means including a rol er, a carrier for the roller slidin the body.

able in a radially disposed opening in the body, and operating means for the carrier operable from said operat'm part.

5. A tool for cutting a we 1 casing by rotation including a body, two members carried by the body, one operable to cut the easing and the other to hold the body against longitudinal movement in the casing, and a part movable longitudinally of the body to operate said members and adapted to be rotated to rotate the body in the casing.

6. A tool for cutting a well casing including a body, two members carried by the body one operable to cut the casing and the other to hold the body against longitudinal movement in the casing, a part movable longitudinally ofthe body to operate said mem bers, and a driving connection between said part and body allowing longitudinal movement of the part relative. to the body, said driving connection including a rojection on said part operating in a longitu inal opening 7. A tool ing a body, two members carried b one operable to cut the casing an the other for cutting a well casing includthe body tohold the body against longitudinal movebody having a central longitudinal opening and comprising a plurality of separable sections, a member carried by one section operable to cut the casing, a member carriedby another section operable to hold the body against longitudinal movement in the casin w an operatin part extending into the y and adapte to be moved longitudinally of. the body to' actuate said members, and a rotary driving connection between said part and another section of the body.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I- have hereunto subscribed my name.

MIL-LABD s, BLACK.- 

